Hollystar's Tale
by Chibi Kitteh
Summary: Hollyleaf, after the tunnels incident, does not return to ThunderClan. Instead, she makes her own Clan. She had left ThunderClan behind, there were too many painful memories there. Cats that caused her confusion, such as Leafpool. She couldn't return. That's why she created HollyClan, so she could forget her past.
1. Prologue

**_~ Author's Note ~_**

_'Ello~! This is another story of where Hollyleaf escapes the tunnels to make her own Clan instead of returning to ThunderClan. I couldn't help myself, I saw many other stories like this and wanted to try it out myself. Also, since Hollyleaf is one of my favorite characters, I wanted to make a fanfic for her. Early happy Thanksgiving to those whom are reading~! :D ~ Kitt_

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**_~ Disclaimer ~_**

_I do not own Warrior Cats, the series rightfully belongs to Erin Hunter. _

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_Am I dead?_

She blinked open her eyes. Everything was hazy. She could only just distinguish cracks in the stony wall in the dim light. She tried to move, but there was a sharp pang in her leg. She let out a yowl and stopped moving. Dust burned her nose and eyes. _Defiantly not dead. But I will be if I can't get out of here! _She thought, her heartbeat increasing with panic.

"Help! Someone help me!" she croaked, her throat parched and raw. But who was she calling to? She had no one! She had abandoned her clanmates. She had left that life behind. Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Leafpool knew she murdered Ashfur. They almost certainly all thought she was dead by now. _It's probably better that way, _she mewed inwardly. _Hopefully, they won't go looking for me. _Memories flickered in her mind; most of them were when she felt hopeless, lost, confused, and hurt. She shuddered and forced them out of her head. _If I want to live, I must work now and save the past for later! _

"Here I go," she meowed hoarsely. She pushed her front paws out and shoved the stones near her chest away. She stretched her paws as far as they could go and begun to heave herself free of the rubble. She let out a hiss when one of her hind legs moved. It was agonizing; her leg might've been broken. She imagined the medicine cat den, full of comfrey to mend her bone and poppy seeds to help her sleep through most of the discomfort. _I gave up that life, _she reminded herself. Wincing, she hauled herself out of the stones. Her wounded leg bounced on the floor.

"Great StarClan, it hurts!" she wailed, her eyes watering. She had never felt this much physical pain before. It was possible she suffered from enough emotional pain. Her leg was throbbing non-stop. "I've been down here before, I know there are other ways out," she reassured herself. Despite her fear, despite her hurting leg, more memories flooded back in.

"_I am your mother," Leafpool had murmured. She had shaken her head in disbelief. It was impossible! How could she be the daughter of a medicine cat, when medicine cats were forbidden to have kits? Worse than being a rogue or a kittypet, her own birth had broken the code of the clans._

"Stupid Leafpool," she uttered, tears trickling down her cheeks. Her mother destroyed the warrior code by falling in love with Crowfeather and baring him kits. She should have never been born, and Leafpool should have never fallen for Crowfeather. _Why?! Why did you break the code, Leafpool?! _She unsheathed her claws, trying to find an area where should could have a better grip on the stone. To her dismay, most of them were broken due to her struggle to break free. She felt something wet and sticky around her pads. _Blood, _she whispered mentally. If her brothers dug through the rockfall, they would find her blood trail she was leaving behind and know she survived when the cave collapsed on her. They'd follow the trail to find her. Her front paws hit stone harshly. She yelped and flinched back. If only there was light. It was so dark she couldn't tell if her eyes were even open.

_Breathe, scrape, and haul, _she ordered herself to do. Her body obeyed to her command. She continued doing this although she wanted to stop and sleep. She wanted a StarClan warrior to come for her. But did they know she was trapped? Her birth had broken the code and she had killed a cat, her fellow clanmate. Lastly, she had deserted her place in ThunderClan. She had no ancestors watching over her. She wished she could travel back in time to the beginning of the gathering. She wished to take back what she said.

"_How can the Clans survive when there are cowards and liars at the very heart of them?" _

She shuddered; her words seemed to echo off of the cave's walls. She wanted to stop herself from spilling the truth, wanted to spare her clanmates from the pain and shock she had seen them in before fleeing from the island. _What have I done? _The dark was making her eyes ache. She had been searching for light for what seemed like hours. So long that she imagined some appearing up ahead. She blinked and shook her head, trying to clear her vision. There was defiantly something paler than black. She hobbled quicker, ignoring the burning in her leg. The light grew stronger. Was it her imagination or was there really light? In her excitement, she tried to stand up. Her hind leg buckled underneath her and stars exploded in her head. The last thing she saw before falling into blackness was the stone floor racing to meet her face.

_I am Hollystar, and this is the beginning of my tale of how I started my clan, HollyClan. _

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**_~ Author's Note ~_**

_I normally don't make short chapters like these, but this is only the prologue. I promise that the chapters will be longer than this. Until the next chapter, ~ Kitt_


	2. Fallen Leaves

**_~ Author's Note ~_**

_'Ello~! Here's the first chapter for Hollystar's Tale. I also forgot to mention I am using some parts of Hollyleaf's Story to make the first part of this fanfic. I'm trying to change it up a bit, though. ~ Kitt_

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**_~ Disclaimer ~_**

_I do not own Warrior Cats, the series rightfully belongs to Erin Hunter._

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**_~ Reviews, Favorites, and Follows ~_**

_Born of True Destiny: Thanks for being my first reviewer for this story! You've made me so happy... :D_

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_Leafpool! Leafpool, I'm thirsty! _Hollyleaf called out, tossing over repeatedly. Waves of heat rolled of her body, sweat beading on her forehead. She must be in the medicine cat den with a fever. But where was the drenched moss Leafpool always left close to her patients? She twisted her head, and her muzzle bumped into something soft, wet, and green-smelling. Hollyleaf sucked at the tendrils of the moss, trying not to wince as she swallowed the precious water. Nothing had ever tasted better.

Suddenly, she realized she wasn't alone. There was a cat bending over her, pushing something beneath her injured leg. Hollyleaf hissed in pain. The cat apologized softly.

"It's just some feathers, to make you more comfortable. Lie still now."

"Leafpool? Is that you?" Hollyleaf inquired. Reality clawed her in the face. _No, it isn't! That was the voice of a tom, not a she-cat's! _Hollyleaf stiffened. She didn't recognize this cat's voice or scent. "Who are you? Where am I?" She started to flail her front paws. "Let me go!"

"Hush, it's alright. I'm not Leafpool, but I'm here to heal your injury." A small, cool paw was placed on her shoulder, gently pushing her back down. Strong-smelling herbs were moved close to her muzzle. "Eat these, then go back to sleep."

Hollyleaf allowed herself to be nudged back onto the feathery-nest. She gulped down the herbs- comfrey, from the scent of it- and two tiny poppy seeds. The feathers felt soft and warm against her wounded leg. With a small sigh, Hollyleaf closed her eyes and sleep dragged her away once more.

~-Time Skip-~

When she woke again, her head felt clearer and the pain in her leg had dulled to a nagging ache. Hollyleaf remained still for a moment, letting her eyes adjust to the near-darkness. This defiantly wasn't the ThunderClan medicine cat den. She was lying on a thin nest made of feathers over the cold stone. _I'm still in the tunnels! _Hollyleaf concluded, feeling a jolt of relief. But if altered into alarm. Who was down here with here? Hollyleaf tried to recall the scent of the cat who had told her to go back to sleep, but her belly rumbled and all she could think about was how hungry she was. When had she last eaten? She tried to stand up but her hind leg crumpled and she flopped onto her side, frustrated.

"You're awake!" A face loomed from the shadows. "How is your leg?"

Hollyleaf opened her eyes wide until she could make out ginger-and-white patches on the cat's pelt. He smelled of stone, water, and moss.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice still raucous. The cat ignored her. Instead, he pushed something toward her with one paw.

"You must be starving. Here, eat." _Fresh-kill! _All thoughts vanished from her head as she bent her head to gobble down the prey. She froze before taking one bite. It was a small, slimy minnow that was in front of her. _Yuck, minnows!_

"I don't like fish," Hollyleaf meowed, hoping she didn't sound too ungrateful. The cat's ears twitched.

"Down here, you don't have a choice." His tone was mild, making Hollyleaf feel embarresed. He had brought her something, she should eat it! Her stomach let out a loud growl as if it didn't care if the minnow was crow-food. Holding her breath, Hollyleaf bit into the fish. _Plump, tasty mouse, _she told herself, trying to encourage herself to take another bite. _Pine-scented squirrel. The first pigeon of newleaf. _She swallowed the last mouthful and drank from the moss beside her. The ginger-and-white cat watched her expectantly.

"Thank you," Hollyleaf meowed. "I… I guess it didn't taste too bad." The tom was still studying her.

"You're Hollypaw, aren't you?" he asked. She blinked.

"Holly_leaf_, actually. How did you know? I've never met you before, have I?" Hollyleaf corrected. The cat shook his head and his eyes clouded.

"No, you've never seen me. But I saw you with your littermates when you came to rescue those kits, just before the river flooded." Hollyleaf stared at him. She had never forgotten- perhaps she never would- the desperate search to find the WindClan kits with Jayfeather and Lionblaze. They had been washed out of the tunnels, right into the lake when the underground river overflowed. It had been a lucky escape. Now this cat was telling her that he had been there when the event happened.

"Who are you?" she demanded once again. The ginger-and-white tom was rearranging the feathers underneath her wounded leg.

"My name is Fallen Leaves," he replied quietly.

"You're not from the Clans, are you?!" Hollyleaf pressed, interested. "Where do you live?" Fallen Leaves padded over to a small bundle of herbs and started dividing them up.

"I once lived in the hills above the lake, but this is my home now." He turned, pushing some comfrey towards Hollyleaf. "Eat this; it'll help your leg. I won't give you anymore poppy seeds unless you have trouble sleeping." Hollyleaf followed his instructions, chewing the fragrant leaves.

"Were you a medicine cat?" she inquired, wanting to know more about Fallen Leaves. The ginger-and-white tom tipped his head to one side thoughtfully.

"I don't know what that is. We all learned about herbs and injuries so we could help one another. Is that what you mean?"

"Sort of." Hollyleaf propped herself upwards, feeling her heartbeat increase. "Who were the other cats? Were you part of a Clan?" Was there another group of cats living near, one that the Clans didn't know about?

"No more questions," Fallen Leaves commanded. "You need to rest. You haven't broken your leg, you just wrenched it. You'll mend soon enough and then I'm guessing you'll want to go back to your friends."

"No!" Hollyleaf cried. "I can't go back; I don't _want_ to go back! Not ever!" Fallen Leaves simply shrugged.

"That's up to you. Lie down and stop wriggling. I'll bring you something to eat later." He picked up the scraps from the minnow and walked away. Hollyleaf stared at him until the shadows swallowed him up. The walls of the tunnel seemed paler, as if more light was filtering in. When she'd been speaking, she could hear her voice echo throughout the cave. If her theory was correct, she was lying near the entrance to the cave. She couldn't here any water, so there was no river. Hollyleaf rested her chin on her paws and closed her eyes. She was lost and hurt, but a cat had found her and kept her alive with herbs, food, and water. Had he been sent by StarClan or was she just lucky? Very lucky. Either way, she was safe for now. Or so she hoped.

~-Time Skip-~

She woke from another nap once again to find one more little fish beside her paws, as well as freshly soaked moss and some more comfrey. A small smiled formed on her lips. Fallen Leaves wanted to keep her alive and well. _Thank you, Fallen Leaves, _she thought, gulping down the minnow gratefully. It was harder to see the walls of the cave. Was it night already? Hollyleaf wondered how many days she had spent down in the tunnels. It had been a full moon when she… left. Perhaps Fallen Leaves could tell her what the moon was now. Finishing her fish, she quickly chewed and swallowed the comfrey, which masked the taste of her fresh-kill. She tried to stay awake, hoping that Fallen Leaves would return. But he didn't. So, Hollyleaf gave up waiting for her strange companion and let sleep wash over her. She was absolutely sure that he would return in the morning.

~-Time Skip-~

When she was awake yet again, she was half-sitting up and washing her chest when Fallen Leaves arrived. He was carrying something bulkier and fluffier than a fish. Hollyleaf paused between licks.

"Hey, you caught a mouse!" Fallen Leaves nodded and deposited the fresh-kill at her paws. He was flushed with achievement.

"I heard it creeping into one of the tunnels," he explained. "I hoped you'd like it." Hollyleaf nodded, grinning once again.

"I do!" she meowed. "Thanks!" She leaned forward to take a bite, but hesitated. She looked up at the beaming tom. "There's plenty here, would you like some?" Fallen Leave shook his head.

"No, it's all yours." While Hollyleaf ate the mouse, he gently prodded her injured leg. "Is it healing, you think?" Hollyleaf nodded with her mouth full.

"Defiantly, and it's all thanks to you," she purred. She could sense Fallen Leaves embarrassment, though he looked proud of himself. She added, "I can bend it now, and it doesn't hurt as much when I move!"

"I believe you can start trying to walk on it when you're finished eating," Fallen Leaves pondered aloud. "Not _too_ far, though. But you need to start exercising it before the muscles waste away." Hollyleaf twitched her ears with surprise. Fallen Leaves sounded just like a medicine cat. He _must_ have come from a Clan! Or something close to a Clan- like the Tribe of Rushing Water. She swallowed and mewed,

"Are you a Tribe cat? Did you come from the mountains?" Fallen Leaves stared at her with vacant eyes.

"This is my home now, there is nowhere else," he responded briskly. Hollyleaf shuddered; there was something about Fallen Leaves's voice. It made her feel more alone and desperate. She straightened up and nudged away the scraps of the mouse that was left.

"Where should I walk?" she asked, enthusiasm quivering in her voice. _I'm going to start using my leg again! _

"Don't get too excited," Fallen Leaves warned. "Only a few steps today." Hollyleaf nodded eagerly and used her front legs to push herself onto her paws. A stab of pain coursed through her wounded leg, but she took a deep breath and kept her paw on the ground anyway. Tentatively, she took a step forward. Her hind leg didn't crumple like it did previously, but it felt like it wasn't connected to the rest of her. Hollyleaf limped toward the place where the light grew stronger. The walls of the tunnel opened out on either side into a diminutive cave, about six fox-lengths away. A tiny hole in the roof blazed with light, so bright that Hollyleaf had to scrunch her eyes to look at it.

"The sun is shining today," Fallen Leaves commented, coming to flank her side. Hollyleaf turned to face him.

"Don't you ever go outside? How can you live here all the time?" Fallen Leaves looked away, looking slightly hassled by the question. Hollyleaf felt faintly guilty for asking.

"This is my home," he repeated, the harassed look gone. He then looked back at her. "Can you make it back to your nest?" Hollyleaf nodded, her eyes glowing with determination. _I'm taking his challenge! _She walked back deeper into the tunnel, annoyed that she hadn't gone further. But by the time she reached to her nest made of feathers, her leg was aching badly and she sank back down with relief.

"Thank you, Fallen Leaves, for letting me walk some." Fallen Leaves stared at her again. _Probably confused for why I'm thanking him. I really appreciate his company though he might be a bit on the odd side, _Hollyleaf meowed inwardly.

"You can try to walk some more tomorrow," he mewed. Hollyleaf thought he could tell she was in pain. "Rest now." He turned to leave but Hollyleaf reached out with one paw.

"Wait! I'm bored of being on my own. Can't you stay and talk to me?" she inquired, bringing her paw back closer to her. Fallen Leaves once again stared at her with his somber blue eyes. Hollyleaf despised that look, why did he always look like that? He deserved to be happy, he had saved her life. He had done a good deed.

"Rest," he repeated. "Your leg will heal faster. I'll see you later." He padded away and Hollyleaf slumped down into her nest. She wanted her leg to get better soon. She had wanted to escape ThunderClan, where she had lived a lie. And she had. But a life in the dark, dependent on another cat for food, water, and herbs, was not what she had imagined.

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**_~ Author's Note ~_**

_Wow, I finish this chapter earlier than I thought I would! Again, early happy Thanksgiving to those whom are celebrating! XD ~ Kitt _

**POLL QUESTION: **_Should the pairing, Hollyleaf/star x Fallen Leaves, be in this story? _

**POLL ANSWER PLACES: **_Go to my profile! _OR _Answer in a review._


	3. Healed

**_~ Author's Note ~_**

_'Ello~! Wow, I'm updating really quick, aren't I? Updating three days in a row! Then again, these are some short chapters. They should get longer, I promise. ~ Kitt_

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**_~ Disclaimer ~_**

_I do not own Warrior Cats, the series rightfully belongs to Erin Hunter._

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**_~ Reviews, Favorites, Follows ~_**

_Guest: Thanks~! I support Holly x Fallen, so that's why I want to put this pairing in the story. I think I've figured out a way to make it work, them as a pairing, you know. 83_

_Born of True Destiny: Yeah, I can't wait too! I just want to put a little bit of what happens before so those who haven't read Hollyleaf's Story somewhat understand when Hollyleaf talks to Fallen Leaves and blah. After a few more chapters, Hollyleaf will most likely start creating her clan! And thanks for another review~! :D_

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_The slim ray_ of sunlight felt warm on her black pelt as Hollyleaf marched across the cave and back again on all four paws.

"See? Good as new!" It felt like seasons had passed since Hollyleaf had been able to walk all the way across the cave without limping, but Fallen Leaves reassured her that the moon wasn't full again yet. He had insisted she stayed within the cave to exercise, walking in circles until she felt too woozy to continue. He still continued to leave her most of the day and all night, and Hollyleaf didn't want to start roaming the caves without him. She had been lucky once, she couldn't rely on Fallen Leaves finding her again. Fallen Leaves came over to look and sniff at her leg.

"If you're telling the truth about being in no pain, then it must have healed."

"It has healed!" Hollyleaf squeaked in protest. The truth was the only thing that mattered. _But it didn't feel like that when I spilled my Clan's secrets at the Gathering! _She retorted to herself, pushing the image of Squirrelflight's horrified face out of her head. "Can we explore now?" she asked.

"You mean, you want me to show you the way out?" Fallen Leaves mewed, looking crestfallen. Hollyleaf snorted in laughter.

"StarClan no!" _At least not yet, anyway. _"I want you to show me your home. Where is the cave with the river? How far do these tunnels go?" The ginger-and-white cat looked at her with surprise.

"Really? Most cats want to get out of here!" There was such pain in his eyes that Hollyleaf felt sympathy.

"I have nowhere else to go," she admitted softly. "You've been a good friend to me, Fallen Leaves. Why would I want to leave you now?" Fallen Leaves smiled and she smiled back. The tom led her down a narrow tunnel on the far side of the cave, into thick darkness. The floor felt smooth and cold underneath her paws, and she was only aware of the walls when her whiskers brushed against them. At first, she overreacted and lurched back into the opposite wall. But she soon learned to move her head when her whiskers tingled.

"The tunnel opens down here," Fallen Leaves called over his shoulder. He must have heard her stumbling around like a mouse-brain. Hollyleaf realized she could see her companion's outline against a paler shade of gray. The sound of water echoed down the tunnel, which must've been from the river that overflowed when Hollyleaf- at the time, Hollypaw- and her brothers saved the lost WindClan kits. She broke into a trot, racing passed Fallen Leaves and her eyes widened at the sight before them. It was a huge cavern, filled with a dusky light that welcomed the two cats. The river was there; tame and quiet, unlike the time she had seen it before. The stone banks were shallow and there was the ledge that Lionblaze had stood on.

"Your brother and the she-cat played up there," Fallen Leaves remarked, standing alongside her. _He means Lionblaze and Heathertail. _Hollyleaf felt a stir of uneasiness. Was her friend's impression of the Clans based on cats hiding from others and breaking the warrior code? To change the subject, Hollyleaf pointed at a tunnel with her tail-tip.

"That leads outside, doesn't it?"

"It use to. But it's blocked by mud now. Do you remember that tunnel over there? That's where you found the kits," Fallen Leaves explained. Hollyleaf looked at the black mouth, which was close to the edge of the river. She shivered, remembering the search for the WindClan kits once again, while far above them Onestar and Firestar prepared to launch a war over their disappearance. "The tunnels aren't very scary once you get use to them. I'll show you, after we eat first."

He padded to the bank of the river and waited, his gaze concentrating on the black water sliding passed. Swiftly, one front paw darted out and scooped up a trembling silver fish onto the rock. It flapped continuously until Fallen Leaves ended its life with one strike.

"Here," he meowed, pushing it toward Hollyleaf.

"Er, don't you want to eat, too?" she asked. Fallen Leaves refused by shaking his head. Hollyleaf sighed, and then grudgingly ate the fish. _He never eats around me. Why? _She noticed that the fish didn't taste too bad this time, and when she drank from the river, the sharp tang was refreshing. Fallen Leaves was waiting for her at the mouth of the darkest tunnel. When she reached him, he turned around and trotted into the shadows with Hollyleaf trailing behind much more slowly. She could hear his pawsteps ahead, ringing confidently on the stone. _Of 'course, he's lived here for what sounds like a long time._

"It'll get brighter soon," Fallen Leaves yowled back to her, fastening his pace. Hollyleaf nodded and broke into a trot, glad to get some warmth into her bones. Her muzzle brushed against something soft, and she slowed down to avoid crashing into her partner. She sniffed, trying to catch his scent, but she could only smell cold, damp stone. Had Fallen Leaves really been in the tunnels long enough to memorize the scents of his surroundings?

Fallen Leaves put on another burst of speed, making Hollyleaf run to keep up with him. The walls of the tunnel emerged from darkness and she could see the outline of the cat in front of her. Hollyleaf couldn't tell where the light was coming from, and for once she didn't look down to see where her paws were. She knew the floor was smooth and leveled- no loose pebbles tripped her yet. Fallen Leaves whipped around to look at her, his eyes gleaming in the semidarkness.

"Okay to go a bit faster?" he challenged. Hollyleaf smirked at him.

"Of 'course!" Her injured leg wasn't aching and she was ready to use the stiff muscles. She didn't have time to take a breath as her companion dashed off. Without hesitation, she followed the ginger-and-white cat. Her whiskers felt the walls effortlessly, guiding her through the darkness. She kept her weight low so she could adjust to changes in the floor. The floor started to slope down steeply, so Hollyleaf made her paws work so she was balanced on her haunches. After some time, her hind leg begun to hurt again. At the same time, the tunnel begun to flatten out and Hollyleaf was able to run full speed. She could hear the tom ahead of her, and she was starting to know when the tunnel curved or hit an incline from the sound of his paws.

When they wounded up in a small cave occupied with sunlight from a crack in the roof, Hollyleaf was almost disappointed. The duo stopped to catch their breath, both panting heavily.

"You're doing really well!" Fallen Leaves praised admiringly.

"Thanks!" Hollyleaf purred back, looking around. "Where are we? I mean, in relation to outside?"

"The other side of the hills," Fallen Leaves meowed. "The tunnel over there," he nodded to a gap in the wall, "leads out if you follow the scent of trees when you reach the fork." Hollyleaf tipped her head back to look at the ceiling. Jagged stone blades hung down, ringed with delicate lines. A drip of water clung to each tip. She didn't know what territory was above them, or whether they were even underneath a Clan's territory. Anyway, it was weird to think there were tunnels like this underneath her paws the whole time.

"We should head back; you don't want to hurt your leg. Come on, let's go a different way." Fallen Leaves's voice interrupted her thoughts. Before Hollyleaf could protest that her leg was fine, he bolted into another tunnel.

"Wait for me!" Hollyleaf cried playfully, racing into the darkness after him. She stretched her neck until her muzzle bumped into cold fur. "Got you!" Fallen Leaves let out an _mrrow_ of amusement.

"We'll see about that!" He increased his stride, pulling himself ahead. Hollyleaf leaped forward, but one of her toes caught on a stone. Regaining her balance, she froze. Her ears pricked up, trying to find Fallen Leaves's pawsteps. She heard them faintly somewhere down the tunnel. Hollyleaf set off but nearly crashed into a wall instantly. She stopped again. _Focus! _She could still hear Fallen Leaves in front of her. Hollyleaf turned her head to look for him, but it was to dark to see anything. She felt a pulse of alarm. She lowered her head and sniffed. There was no trace of his scent. He had stuck to the main tunnels, right? Nervously, she walked forwards. She jumped at the faintest sound of pawsteps. She stopped again, her ears pricked up as high as they could go. Nothing. She looked down at her own paws, though she couldn't see them. _Mouse-brain! _She had been listening to the echo of her _own_ pawsteps the entire time! She was completely alone in the darkness, like when the tunnels had collapsed on her and practically buried her alive.

She wanted to wail, but didn't. Her pelt was fluffed out with fear. Fallen Leaves would've noticed she wasn't behind him, right? Or did he assume she found a different way back? She had been running so confidently behind him. Hollyleaf took a step forward, her head banging against rock. She reeled back and jumped sideways, her shoulder hitting the opposite wall. Had the tunnel shrunk? Were the walls closing in on her, slowly crushing her?

"Hollyleaf!" A whisper behind her nearly made Hollyleaf jump out of her pelt. "Are you okay?" Fallen Leaves asked, coming closer and closer. He stopped when his muzzle was touching her ears. "What happened?"

"I didn't know where you were!" Hollyleaf croaked, blinking away the water in her eyes. "It was so dark, and I thought I could hear you. But no, it was my own pawsteps that I had mistaken for yours! I kept hitting walls, thinking you lost me!" She still felt like wailing out into the darkness.

"I'll never do that, I promise," Fallen Leaves vowed into her ear. "You will _never_ be lost down here, because you have me. Follow me, I'll take you back." He led her back to her nest, beside her while she limped. She let herself fall back into the feathers with gratefulness and relief. Her leg throbbed. Meanwhile, Fallen Leaves was nudging more poppy seeds next to her.

"Eat these," he demanded. Once again, like he did every night, he turned to leave.

"W-Wait!" she whispered, a wail creeping into her throat. _I don't want to face the darkness by myself! _"Fallen Leaves, I don't want to be alone in the dark again. Please, stay with me! There's room in my nest if I shift over." Fallen Leaves paused, circling the feathery-nest.

"Okay, for one night," he meowed, curling around her body. It was awkward for both of them. Hollyleaf wriggled, trying to let him have more room. _I owe him so much. _The poppy seeds were working, her body becoming numb with drowsiness. Her eyelids drooped, and then closed. She uncurled, letting her spine press against his flank. For a moment, it was like being back in the hollow, sharing a nest with her best friend, Cinderheart. Hollyleaf breathed deeply and started to drift into sleep. But before blackness engulfed her entirely, she shivered. _Why am I so cold? _There was no warmth coming from Fallen Leaves's pelt at all. Had living underground chilled him right to the bone?

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**_~ Author's Note ~_**

_LOL, once again, early happy Thanksgiving to those whom are celebrating it! When I'm bored, I tend to write some and tada, I get many chapters out. This is an example of what happens in my boredom. XD ~ Kitt_

**POLL QUESTION: **_Should the pairing, Hollyleaf/star x Fallen Leaves, be in this story? _

**POLL ANSWER PLACES: **_Go to my profile! _OR _Answer in a review._


	4. Homesick & a Fox Cub

**_~ Author's Note ~_**

_'Ello~! Updating again! ~ Kitt_

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**_~ Disclaimer ~_**

_I do not own Warrior Cats, the series rightfully belongs to Erin Hunter._

* * *

**_~ Reviews, Favorites, and Follows ~_**

_Magic Waffle: LOL~! X3 Thanks for the review!_

_Icecloud447: Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks for your review! :D (Longest 'thanks' I've ever typed!)_

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"_Hey! Wake up!_ It's time for the morning patrol!"

Hollyleaf rolled over and rubbed a paw over her eyes. Standing over her was Fallen Leaves, looking like he was going to die from excitement. His tail curled high over his back. She groaned. Half of her was wishing her friend didn't wake her up. She had been dreaming that she was back in ThunderClan, chasing a squirrel that got smaller and smaller as she neared it. When her paws surrounded it, the squirrel had vanished.

"Come on, sleepy slug!" Fallen Leaves teased playfully. Hollyleaf scrambled up and peered passed the tom to look at the pale yellow light coming into the tunnel at an angle. The angle was narrower today, which meant the sun was lower. Hollyleaf wondered how many moons she had been in the tunnels. Probably three or four, at least. Leaf-fall must be happening outside in the woods, changing the trees to gold and scarlet. Hollyleaf wondered if it would get colder in the tunnels, too. She prodded her nest with a paw; she needed to find more feathers. Fallen Leaves was prancing away from her.

"I'll take you to the moor-tunnel," he meowed loudly. "You can check the woods-tunnel." He had come up with names for the two main exit tunnels that didn't lead to ThunderClan territory. Hollyleaf knew he must've wanted to keep her distracted from her former home, and she didn't mind. Like she had said to him a few moons ago, she never wanted to return. She had chosen to stay with him, which was what she wanted, right? When she told him about Clan life, Fallen Leaves suggested they practice it down in the tunnels. She agreed, use to such a life. Hollyleaf had learned how to catch minnows nearly as smooth as Fallen Leaves, and was use to the strong, watery taste. She could confidently walk through the dark, was able to detect the tiniest breezes on her whiskers and picking up the echoes of the flowing water from the river to locate where she was. When patrolling an exit tunnel, she only went as far as the light that spilled from the mouth, not wanting to stray too far. She belonged to the shadows now; she hid from the daylight and wind that came from around the trees.

Hollyleaf shivered. She had shelter, food, water, and company. She was perfectly happy, but was she meant to be? She didn't deserve to be happy after what she had done. Images of her whole life before she fled ThunderClan filled her mind. She compared her former Clan to Fallen Leaves. Her companion was less demanding than her old Clanmates, he let her eat every bit of prey they caught, and never spent a lot of time with her so she never got bored of his company. In fact, he left her alone often. Mostly at night. Hollyleaf wondered where he slept; she thought she'd explored all the tunnels, but she never seen signs of another nest.

"Come on!" Fallen Leaves shouted from ahead, snapping Hollyleaf out of her thoughts. Hollyleaf ran after him, catching up with him at the river-cave and stood by his side. The duo looked into the water, watching the river flow more rapidly than it did the day before. Little waves crossed over the edges of the stone gully. Hollyleaf didn't dare tell Fallen Leaves how much she missed clan life, that doing patrols just wasn't enough. She was afraid he would hate her and leave her. But why should she worry about that? _He's my only friend now, I can't lose him!_

"It rained last night," Fallen Leaves explained, seeing that she was looking fearfully at the water. This didn't make her feel any better.

"Is the river going to flood?" she squeaked, alarm pulsing through her body. Fallen Leaves shook his head.

"Not yet." He padded over to a corner and came back rolling a large flat stone with his muzzle. "This will be used as a marker. It'll tell us if the river rises anymore." Hollyleaf ran a paw over and around the stone. It felt smooth.

"Good idea," she commented.

"It's what the sharpclaws told me to do," Fallen Leaves explained. "Before I came down here to do my initiation." Hollyleaf's gaze was fixed sharply on him. He only mentioned that he got lost in the tunnels while training to be a sharpclaw- something that seemed to be like a warrior from a Clan. He wouldn't tell her anything else about his Clan, Tribe, or whatever he came from.

"If you went back now, I know you'd be the best sharpclaw ever. You have gotten lost once, but now you know the tunnels more than any cat! If finding your way through these tunnels is to teach you how to be strong, brave, and independent, you're all of those! You'd be a hero!" Hollyleaf purred, trying to be kind. His reaction wasn't what she expected.

"Go back? I can't go back, don't you understand?! It's too late!" Fallen Leaves hissed, trembling with distress. He darted into the tunnel that led to WindClan territory, the one they called the moor-tunnel.

"Wait!" Hollyleaf shouted, starting to follow after him. But she stopped. All she had were questions that might make Fallen Leaves more upset. She didn't want to do that. Maybe she wasn't the only one fleeing from a terrible secret. She had never told her companion about Ashfur, she wasn't sure how'd he take it. She turned and went back to the other side of the river-cave. There was the entrance to the woods-tunnel. She leaped to the other side, yelping when her hind paws splashed into the icy water. It showered her belly with freezing cold droplets. As she entered the woods-tunnel, she broke into a run to warm herself up.

The rough gray walls on each side opened out. Wind was blowing into the tunnel, bringing scents of drying leaves and brittle grass directly to her mouth. It reminded her of ThunderClan. She padded closer until the light hit her paws. She lifted a paw and looked at the pad, surprised that it was pale and hard from moons of running across the stone in the tunnels. Hollyleaf suddenly had the urge to want to feel soft, green grass underneath her paws again. She tipped her head back and looked at the vast gray sky full of light. She felt herself drawn to go outside, her paws automatically walking towards the light. _Outside!_

The light grew stronger, making Hollyleaf screw her eyes to continue forward. It wasn't sunshine. No, the light was cool and gray, but brighter than anything she had seen in awhile. The entrance of the woods-tunnel was a circle of dazzling white, too painful to look directly at. Suddenly, there was a deafening crashing noise beyond the brightness. It was the sound of heavy paws crunching branches. There was barking, mixed with high-pitched yipping. Hollyleaf winced as the noise rung in her ears; she was use to the heavy silence of the tunnels. With a gasp, she shrank back against the wall, too startled to know which way to run. A dark shape burst in, and Hollyleaf recognized the familiar scent even though it had been a long time since she smelled it. _Fox!_

Fear made her paws glued to the ground. The intruder ran into her and bounced off the opposite wall. Hollyleaf felt a quick pang of relief. _The stupid fox is too clumsy! _It turned back, taking no notice of Hollyleaf cowering in the corner. A head was thrust through the light, a long pink tongue dangling from dripping jaws. The newcomer had huge, floppy ears and cold yellow eyes. _Dog! _It was just her luck, a fox _and_ a dog was with her in the tunnel. But so far, Hollyleaf managed to not be seen by either. The fox yelped and scrambled back into Hollyleaf, squishing her against the wall. She held her breath, not wanting to make a noise. Even though she knew her ancestors probably weren't watching her, she prayed, _StarClan, please help me!_

The dog growled and stepped forward, blocking the light. Hollyleaf could only see the outlines of the dog's massive shoulders. The fox bent down, filling Hollyleaf's nose with soft fur. She yearned to sneeze, yet she didn't want to be caught. There was a shout outside, and the dog's ears twitched. The voice belonged to an angry two-leg. Maybe she was saved! A moment later, the dog whipped around and was grabbed by the two-leg. The dog whined as it was dragged away by its owner. The fox sighed and relaxed, giving Hollyleaf room to move back a little. The fox was only a cub, no taller than she was, and was scented with milk and earth from its den.

"What's happening? Are you alright?" a fierce whisper came from behind. _Fallen Leaves! _He was standing by the curve of the tunnel. Hollyleaf ran over to him, one eye remaining on the fox.

"Fox!" Hollyleaf hissed softly. "There's a fox behind me! Run!"

~-Time Skip-~

Hollyleaf growled irritably. _For StarClan's sake, shut up! _She tried to block out the noise, but it didn't work. Removing her tail from her nose, she stood up and looked at Fallen Leaves. The fox cub was still in the tunnels somewhere, whimpering in the dark. Why hadn't it gone yet? Did it think the dog was still looking for it?

"Can you hear the fox?" Hollyleaf inquired, annoyed. Fallen Leaves viewed her with his solemn blue eyes. This time, she didn't flinch when his eyes landed on her. She didn't have time to feel sympathy for him. Finally, he shrugged.

"It'll find its way out."

"It's keeping me awake!" she complained, her voice snappy. The fox yelped, and Hollyleaf felt a rush of pity. She knew what it was like to be lost in darkness. "I'm going to find it!" she announced. Fallen Leaves continued to stare at her, but with shock.

"But it's a fox!" he argued, his eyes wide. Hollyleaf shrugged.

"It's a cub," she countered, heading towards a tunnel. "You wouldn't leave a kit down here, would you?"

"A kit wouldn't eat me!" Fallen Leaves pointed out as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"It won't eat me," Hollyleaf assured him, hoping that it was true. "I'm too much of a mouthful for the cub." The fox had smelled strongly of milk, which meant it probably wasn't eating fresh-kill yet. And it didn't notice when it was sitting on her, prey to the cub. She shook her fur and went deeper into the woods-tunnel.

"You're really going to look for it?!" Fallen Leaves yowled, sounding astonished. Hollyleaf didn't look back when she replied,

"Yes, if it means I can get some sleep! If I'm not back by dawn, come and fetch me, okay?" When she said that, she was half-joking. What if she really wasn't back by dawn? She heard Fallen Leaves somber answer before she was out of hearing range.

"Of 'course."

~-Time Skip-~

The darkness felt more thick than usual, and Hollyleaf fought down the urge to turn tail and flee back to the river-cave. The fox cub's whimpering echoed off the walls, disorienting her and her senses. She paused when cold air blasted one side of her head. There was an opening to a tunnel, had the cub gone that way? She listened and heard a tiny scraping noise, as if soft pads were shuffling alongside the stone. If the fox had gone this way, it would be stuck. This particular tunnel led to a dead end, caused by a rockfall. If Hollyleaf went this way, she could get trapped…

Hollyleaf ignored that possible idea and stepped in. Immediately, the fox shrieked as if it heard her approaching.

"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you," Hollyleaf whispered comfortingly, feeling stupid. She couldn't speak or understand fox, nor could the fox speak or understand cat. The cub was scrabbled against the stone loudly. Hollyleaf shuddered at the scent of fox-scented fear that came from down the passage. She had to remind herself that it was a lost cub, not a full-grown vicious fox. She was in no danger. "Hush, don't be frightened."

The scraping stopped. Hollyleaf guessed that the tiny fox was pressed into the rockfall. The cub let out a whine.

"Poor little scrap. Did you get lost?" Hollyleaf meowed, remembering how Squirrelflight comforted her, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather when they were kits. Squirrelflight had made the gentlest voice possible and cooed comfortingly. She took another step forward, her muzzle bumping into soft fur. She tried not to gag at the scent as she gave the cub a lick. The fox went rigid but was no longer tense as she continued to lick. Feeling bolder, Hollyleaf moved closer until her muzzle touched the tip of a feather-soft ear. "It's alright, you're safe now."

The cub's head rested against her chest. She felt the faint tickle of its whiskers as it tucked its chin underneath its front paws. Hollyleaf wriggled closer, wrapping her warm body around the cub's. She could sense its breaths coming in slower and steadier. She stopped licking.

"Sleep, little one." She tried to keep the fox warm. It crossed her mind that none of her former Clanmates would believe she slept next to a fox. But she was no longer part of the Clan, and this cub needed her, just as a kit needed its mother. Hollyleaf shifted herself so she was more comfortable and closed her eyes.

~-Time Skip-~

She was woken by something pinching her paws. Was Fallen Leaves getting her attention by _biting_ her?

"Ow!" she yelped, as teeth sunk into her fur. The fox cub looked at her, a playful gleam in its eyes.

"_Yip_!" the cub cried, backing away to let her up. Hollyleaf remembered what happened the day before. Meanwhile, she dodged sharp teeth.

"Okaaay, let's get you out of the tunnels." The cub bounced around her, yelping contentedly. It wanted to play, but Hollyleaf didn't. Was this how a queen felt when taking care of a kit? She turned away from the fox, which was against her own instincts. But it was just a cub. "Follow me." She went forward and the cub followed, but only for a few steps. It whined pathetically, looking at the darkness ahead. "It's okay, this is the way out." She continued going forward. There was a soft thump. Hollyleaf turned around, the fox was sitting down! Sighing, Hollyleaf nudged the cub with her muzzle. "Come on, you can't stay here!" She jabbed its haunches with her paw. The fox yelped and jumped up.

"I'll be right next to you," Hollyleaf promised, giving it another shove with her muzzle. She thought it was starting to turn out hopeless, that she'd have to leave the innocent cub to die alone, trapped in the darkness. But then it took a cautious step forward. Hollyleaf beamed. "That's right!" she cheered, pressing her flank against the cub's. Together, they inched their way along the tunnel. The fox froze at the fork to the woods-tunnel. Hollyleaf nudged the fox encouragingly. She helped the cub around the corner, a breeze from outside hitting their faces. The cub yelped again, but cheerfully. It broke into a run, but crashed right into a wall. It whimpered and Hollyleaf raced to its side. She couldn't taste any blood.

"You silly thing," she scolded gently. "Stay by me until you can see, okay?" She knew the fox couldn't understand her, but it did slow down. Gray light came from the entrance, painfully bright like before. The fox blinked and whined, covering its eyes with a paw. "It's okay, it's because you've been in the dark for awhile. Keep going," she explained, licking the cub's ears. A picture of Squirrelflight doing the same thing popped in her head. She'd fallen in a puddle and Squirrelflight whisked her off to the nursery to dry her off. _Her mother. _Hollyleaf missed Squirrelflight with physical pain. _She's not my mother, nor is Leafpool! _She told herself, though she knew both she-cats mothered and loved her equally.

The fox trotted forward, picking up speed. Hollyleaf hung back, desperately struggling to control the urge to stay pressed to its warm fur. The cub didn't belong here. It belonged with its mother, in their den in the woods. _But that doesn't mean I'll still miss the cub. _The cub stopped at the entrance and turned back, obviously waiting for Hollyleaf to catch up.

"I-I can't come with you, little one," she whispered, feeling her heart break a little. Why? Why did she have to feel something like this? "This is my home, go on now." The words caught in her throat like a piece of gristly fresh-kill. She hated having to say goodbye to the tiny cub. There was a loud yelp from outside. The cub's head whipped around and let out a yip. There was another bark, more confident and joyous. "That's your mother, isn't it?" Hollyleaf croaked, her throat dry. She watched the cub bounding toward the light, vanishing in the white circle. Hollyleaf's paws led her the tunnel's entrance, far enough to see the trees. She looked at the woods, which were mixed with a variety of trees and dense undergrowth. It reminded her of ThunderClan. She could hear the birds chirping and leaves rustling in the wind. The cub and its mother raced toward each other, greeting with barks, yips, and yelps. The cub's mother was sniffing every mouse-tail of the cub.

"You're safe now," Hollyleaf murmured, her eyes watering at the festive scene playing out before her very eyes. She tried to get rid of the sadness that was in her chest. Images of her and her littermates in the nursery, drinking milk, formed in her mind. _I was so happy before I learned of the truth. But that life is now over. _She paused, an idea forming in her mind. _Or is it over? _

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**_~ Author's Note ~_**

_Early happy Thanksgiving, and may StarClan light your path! ~ Kitt_

**POLL QUESTION: **_Should the pairing, Hollyleaf/star x Fallen Leaves, be in this story? _

**POLL ANSWER PLACES: **_Go to my profile! _OR _Answer in a review._


	5. HollyClan

**_~ Author's Note ~_**

_'Ello~! I hope you all had an excellent Thanksgiving (those that celebrated)! I did! 83 ~ Kitt_

* * *

**_~ Disclaimer ~_**

___I do not own Warrior Cats, the series rightfully belongs to Erin Hunter._

* * *

**___~ Reviews, Favorites, and Follows ~_**

___Born of True Destiny: Here's the first chapter of the real story! Thanks for another review! XD_

___Alpha Darkness: Thanks for being my first follower on this story! :D_

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_Hollyleaf returned to_ the river-cave, half of her thinking of the fox cub and the other half of her new idea. Fallen Leaves was there, staring at her nest. _Good, I need to talk to him! _She padded closer to him, biting down on her lower lip softly. She wasn't sure what he would think of her idea.

"Um, Fallen Leaves?" The ginger-and-white tom looked up at her, his eyes wide with surprise.

"You nearly scared me out of my skin!" Fallen Leaves meowed after settling down. Hollyleaf gave him a sheepish grin. "Anyway, yes? Can I help you with something?" _Here I go!_

"Er, sort of. I was thinking… I miss life in a Clan!" she blurted out, shuffling her paws. She struggled to keep eye contact with him. What was he thinking? "I know we do patrols, but that just isn't enough!" She heard her companion sigh.

"I knew this day would come," he murmured, sounding upset. _He did? _She continued to stare into his blue eyes. They were extremely wet, like tears were about to fall. "You want to return to ThunderClan, don't you?" _What?! _She thought, shocked.

"No, I don't want to return to ThunderClan!" Hollyleaf protested loudly. Fallen Leaves looked sharply up at her. She shuddered, the look seemed to pierce her heart and shatter it into pieces. He seemed so hurt and lost.

"Then you want to join one of the other Clans?" Hollyleaf shook her head as Fallen Leaves looked at her in disbelief. "Then, what do you want to do? There aren't any other Clans!"

"Make my own," Hollyleaf meowed. Her only friend stared at her as if she had gone mad. "I got the idea after returning the cub to its mother. It made me think of how happy I was before… I left the Clan." She had nearly said 'the truth,' which would make Fallen Leaves wonder what that meant.

"You want to make your own Clan? You want to choose Clan life over _me_?" Fallen Leaves croaked, his body trembling. Every time he spoke, she felt terrible. She didn't want to leave him, she didn't want to leave the cat that rescued her from death and became her friend.

"No. I want you to join my Clan." His answer didn't surprise her.

"I can't leave the tunnels; I have to wait for my mother!" Fallen Leaves uttered, shaking his head in refusal. But Hollyleaf, being as clever as she was, had already thought up a plan to fix that problem.

"The Clan could live down here in the tunnels," she explained. This caught her friend's interest. "And don't worry, we can teach the cats to survive down here like how you taught me!" Fallen Leaves seemed to brighten up at this.

"You're right, I can't believe I didn't think of that!" he exclaimed. He nuzzled Hollyleaf cheerfully. She felt her pelt grow hot in embarrassment. "So, what do we do first?"

"Think of a Clan name and what our positions will be." Fallen Leaves nodded, a smile gracing his lips.

"That's easy!" he purred. "You'll be the leader, Hollyleaf! You came up with the idea first, anyway. And you said that the Clans were named after their first leaders, so the Clan will be HollyClan!" Hollyleaf couldn't reply. _Me? Leader? _She could hear the water from the river flow quietly across the cave. She remembered when she was an apprentice in ThunderClan; her ambition was to become a leader. She could be a leader now, but was it right? She had murdered Ashfur, which broke the code, and spilled her former Clan's secrets.

"Okay, I'll lead HollyClan. But you have to be my deputy, Fallen Leaves," Hollyleaf mewed, her companion going stiff. She could sense his shock. However, he relaxed almost instantly.

"Fine, I accept. Now what?"

"We find cats that might be interested in joining."

~-Time Skip-~

Both cats were walking through the forest, Hollyleaf in the lead. It had taken awhile to convince Fallen Leaves to come out. She had to tell him that their Clan couldn't be created without cats and that she didn't want to go by herself. Her companion was looking down at his paws, so she couldn't see his face.

"We've arrived at our destination," she announced, coming to a halt beside an enormous wall. Fallen Leaves stopped beside her. They had to tip their heads back to see the top of the wall. "We're going to have to climb up. See those cracks in the wall? Put your paws there." Fallen Leaves nodded nervously, placing his paws on the wall. The she-cat did the same, hastily climbing up. She had a view of the number of two-leg dens that lined up the thunderpath. Soon enough, her ginger-and-white friend caught up, panting heavily. _He isn't use to climbing like I am._

"You brought me to a two-leg place?!" he shouted after catching his breath. Hollyleaf nodded, leaping down onto the ground. Fallen Leaves followed her uncertainly. Right away, they ran into another cat. The newcomer was a handsome tom with black fur (at the top of his head, the fur was spiky) and had dark amber eyes. He was tall and had a lean, muscular frame. The stranger spotted them.

"Oh, hello~!" he chirped, beaming. Hollyleaf's first impression of the tom was that he was a lighthearted cat with a cute, kit-like voice even though he was the size of a full-grown, young tom. She smiled back, unsure of what to say. The same went for Fallen Leaves, so the cat continued, "My name is Ling~! Are you new here~?"

"Er- yes, yes we are! My name is Hollyleaf, pleasure to meet you," she coughed awkwardly. She nudged her friend, wanting him to say something and help her out.

"Uh, hello, I'm Fallen Leaves."

"You two have very weird names~!" Ling laughed, his whiskers twitching in amusement. Hollyleaf shrugged, still shocked of the black tom's idiosyncrasies. "Where do you come from~?"

"Tunnels in the forest," Fallen Leaves replied swiftly. She realized that her friend wanted to get far away from this Ling fellow right away. But Hollyleaf didn't mind Ling all that much; he was being very nice to them.

"Do you have two-legs, Ling?" she asked curiously. The tom shook his head, his attention now drawn back to her.

"Nope, I live by myself~! It gets lonely sometimes, so I talk to others whenever someone comes my way~." Hollyleaf felt a rush of sympathy for Ling; she knew what it was like to be alone. So, she did the only thing she could do to get Ling company.

"I'm making a Clan with Fallen Leaves. A Clan is a group of cats that live together, bounded by something called the warrior code. We work together to survive. Do you want to join?" Ling looked surprised at the offer.

"Sure, I guess I'll try it out~! Do I have to get a silly name like yours~?" he meowed, tilting his head to one side. Hollyleaf felt a rush of joy, the first cat she asked agreed to join HollyClan! But she wasn't sure about the whole name thing. _Well, Millie and Daisy kept their names and still joined ThunderClan._

"You can keep your name if you want," she responded. A low rumble came from some ways. It grew louder, so Hollyleaf could tell it was getting closer. "A two-leg monster is coming!" Ling nudged her then took a few steps away.

"Follow me~!" he cried, puffing out his chest. Hollyleaf couldn't help but purr, she was already growing fond of Ling. _His silliness will make the Clan feel better when things are bad. _She realized, following her new friend. Fallen Leaves trudged behind, muttering about how goofy and bizarre their new companion was. _Fallen Leaves will just have to get use to Ling. _Ling led them to a small tree; it was bigger than a bush but smaller than most trees. Hollyleaf looked at the leaves, which were different shades of magnificent red, gold, and brown. The trio climbed up the tree, Ling the first to reach the top and Fallen Leaves the last. The monster was now passing by where they had been last, gray fumes billowing in the air. Hollyleaf covered her nose with two paws, trying to stop the acid smell from entering her nose. Fallen Leaves hacked harshly, clearly this being the first time he smelled the waste that came from a monster. Ling was use to it, Hollyleaf could tell just because he had no reaction to the fumes.

"Hollyleaf, we need to hurry back to the tunnels soon. It's already evening," Fallen Leaves meowed, his coughing now subdued. She nodded in consent, her throat burning from the smoke.

"Aw, but I know where two other cats that might want to join are~!" Ling whined, unsheathing his claws to scratch at the tree. Hollyleaf perked up with interest, which Ling noticed. "One is expecting kits, her name is Sif~. I talk to her a lot because she saved my life one time~. The other is Len, the eldest cat in the two-leg place~. Sif and I hunt for him- well, only me now since Sif is awaiting the arrival of her kits- so he can live~!"

"Sif and Len don't have two-legs either?" she inquired, surprised. She had thought that every cat that lived in the two-leg place was kittypets, but some were loners.

"Nope~!"

"Okay, can you take me there?" She spotted her first friend's dismayed look. "Don't worry, Fallen Leaves, we'll return to the tunnels after this. You've had a long day."

"Sure~! I'll take you to Sif first~!" Ling squeaked cheerfully, leaping back onto the ground. Hollyleaf and Fallen Leaves jumped down together, giving some distance between their new companion.

"Why did you ask Ling to join?!" Fallen Leaves whispered irritably, confirming Hollyleaf's fears. The ginger-and-white tom didn't like her new friend, not even one morsel of him.

"I couldn't let him be alone anymore! I remember how it felt when I was alone, the pain was unbearable. Plus, Ling will cheer everyone up when times are terrible," Hollyleaf huffed, increasing her stride. Fallen Leaves growled softly, but continued to trail behind. Ling led them to the thunderpath, which he crossed with ease. Hollyleaf paused hesitantly before crossing over, making sure no monsters were coming. Fallen Leaves was even more cautious, at first he tip-toed across, but when a loud roar came from nearby, he darted to the other side. A blast of cold air whipped Hollyleaf's pelt. She shivered. She tipped her head back, eyes reflecting twinkling yellow lights in the midnight-colored sky. _Maybe we should go talk to Sif and Len tomorrow? _But Ling had stopped in front of a row of bushes.

"Sif, are you there~?" he called out. Moments later, a red she-cat with green eyes appeared, her belly heavily swollen. "Oh, hi~!" Sif stared wearily at Hollyleaf and Fallen Leaves.

"Ling, who are these cats?" Sif stepped closer to Ling, her fur fluffed out anxiously. Before he could reply, Hollyleaf chose this moment to introduce herself.

"I am Hollyleaf, nice to meet you. This is my friend, Fallen Leaves." She pointed her tail-tip towards the ginger-and-white tom. Sif nodded, the worried look still on her face. _She can't really fight or defend herself because of the kits. _"Neither of us is here to harm you or your unborn kits. We only come with a proposition."

"A proposition?" Sif looked relieved that she and her kits weren't in danger. Fallen Leaves nodded and explained,

"Hollyleaf and I are making a Clan. A Clan is-"

"-A group of cats that live and work together to survive. I know," Sif interrupted. Hollyleaf's mouth dropped with shock. "I ran into a patrol in the nearby forest and got chased out by cats that claimed they were from ThunderClan. Before they chased me out, I asked what a Clan was and they told me."

"Oh." Hollyleaf froze at the mention of her former Clan. She wondered which of her Clanmates had chased Sif off of their land. Also, she wondered how Lionblaze and Jayfeather were. "Do you remember what the cats looked like?"

"Yes. A dark ginger she-cat with one white paw, a gray she-cat named Cinderheart, a golden tom with amber eyes, and a brown tabby she-cat with a white chest and paws." Hollyleaf immediately knew who the cats were. _Squirrelflight, Cinderheart, Lionblaze, and Leafpool! _All four of those cats had been close to her. "And by the way, I'll join your Clan. Clan life sounds interesting, and I only talk to Ling and Len."

"Yay~!" Ling cheered as Hollyleaf cheered mentally. _The first two cats I ask said 'yes!' Now we ask Len and hope he accepts and joins. Then, we return to the tunnels. _She turned to Ling, whom was prancing around Sif. He noticed her eyes on him and meowed, "Come on, I'll take you to Len~!"

"Can I wait here?" Sif was looking at her belly. Fallen Leaves rushed to her side.

"I'll stay with you, my paws are sore and I need rest!" he announced. Hollyleaf nodded and turned around to follow Ling. As they padded away, she could hear Fallen Leaves flop down.

~-Time Skip-~

Her paws hurt. Her head hurt. She wanted to collapse and sleep. But she couldn't. Ling was ahead of her, still bouncing with what seemed like never-ending energy. Hollyleaf yearned for that kind of energy. Finally, she had to ask.

"How much longer?" Ling stopped and turned around to face her. His amber eyes were glowing in the dark.

"We're here~!" _Thank StarClan! _Hollyleaf felt some more energy creeping into her body as she praised her ancestors. _I thought we would never get there! _Ling entered a den that was made out of sticks. To cover up the holes, someone had weaved moss and grass in between. She heard some voices, and finally Ling came back out with another cat behind him. _This must be Len! _If so, Len was a thick-furred white tom with graying fur around his muzzle. "Len, this is Hollyleaf~. Hollyleaf, this is Len~."

"Greetings, young one," Len rasped, his eyes looking over her. Hollyleaf wanted to shudder under his glare, but she didn't. "Ling here has told me that you and this tom named Fallen Leaves are making a Clan. He and Sif have joined, and I watch over them as they watch over me, so I am joining." Hollyleaf felt her spirits rise; getting cats to join was so easy!

"Hello and thank you. I hope Ling explained what a Clan was," she purred. Len smiled, his teeth yellowing and crooked with age.

"He didn't have to. I met two cats on a quest, Graystripe and Millie. They told me what a Clan was." Hollyleaf wasn't surprised that her former Clanmates were mentioned. When she had become a new apprentice, Graystripe had returned to the Clan with a former kittypet named Millie. "Such wonderful, young cats. They were so brave when I met them, traveling a long way to return to ThunderClan."

"They made it home," Hollyleaf whispered. "I know them." Len didn't look shock at all. Instead, he looked rather happy.

"I knew they would make it back to their Clan. Now, let's go back to Sif and Fallen Leaves." The trio padded away in silence, leaving behind Len's old den.

~-Time Skip-~

Hollyleaf paused next to the bushes, letting Ling call Sif and Fallen Leaves over. Her ginger-and-white friend padded out, yawning tiredly. Sif came out much more slowly. The moon was at the highest position in the sky. _It's moonrise already. _Hollyleaf stifled a yawn.

"Follow me and Fallen Leaves," she meowed, trotting back to the dirt-colored wall. She placed her paws in the cracks and hauled herself upwards. Ling followed quickly and sat down with a thump, waiting for their companions to catch up. Fallen Leaves beat the soon-to-be mother and elderly white tom. "Come on, the tunnels aren't that far away!"

"Okay~!" The five cats made their way through the forest, not bothering to hide their scents. Soon, they found the entrance to the woods-tunnel. She let Fallen Leaves pass her, knowing he was probably the one who wanted to be back in the tunnels the most. She turned to face the others.

"It's pretty dark down here, but Fallen Leaves and I will help you learn how to move through these tunnels with ease. Fallen Leaves taught me how to run at my top speed down here." She entered the tunnel, Sif and Len flanking her sides. Ling went in the back and was quiet for once. _He's most likely now sleepy, _she thought. The three newcomers crashed into walls, but weren't injured. "We're almost at the river-cave." Hollyleaf was using her whiskers to tell where they were at, too tired to use her memory. Finally, they reached the cave. Moonlight scattered around the cave through cracks in the roof.

"Ah, sleep~!" Ling purred, his legs buckling beneath him. Quiet snores came from him. _Already asleep? Wow, that's the fastest time I've ever seen someone fall asleep. _Sif and Len padded beside him and lied down. None of them complained that there wasn't any nest ready for them.

"Tomorrow we'll make your nests, explain some more about the Clan, and find some more cats that are willing to join," Hollyleaf meowed, collapsing onto her feathery-nest. Sif nodded and curled into a ball, Len already falling asleep. She closed her eyes and waited for sleep to come. And it came easily.

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_**~ Author's Note ~**_

_OMSC, I just wanna squeeze the fluff out of Ling! The way I imagine him is that he is super cute! Also, I have decided there will be Hollyleaf/star x Fallen Leaves due to the fact everyone so far seems to want it (I want the pairing in this story myself)! :D May StarClan light your path until the next chapter, ~ Kitt_


	6. The Golden Stranger

**_~ Author's Note ~_**

_'Ello~! Sorry for not updating in awhile, but my mom's computer finally broke and I had to wait until Christmas until I could get my own laptop. So, yeah. I tried to make this the longest chapter I've ever made in history and I believe it is. Sorry for any misspellings, I don't have Microsoft Word anymore. I'm stuck with Wordpad and Notepad, neither one has spellcheck. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! ~ Kit_

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**_~ Disclaimer ~_**

_I do not own Warrior Cats, the series rightfully belongs to Erin Hunter._

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**_~ Reviews, Favorites, & Follows ~_**

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_T__he future leader_ of HollyClan woke to the sound of growling. Instinctivly, she leapt to her paws and unsheathed her claws, eyes searching for where the noise came from. She nearly groaned out loud when she realized the sound was actually Ling's belly. Her paws were sore from the day before, she had done a lot of walking. Most of the time, she stuck to the tunnels and never had to stray far. But yesterday, she and Fallen Leaves had left the tunnels in search of cats willing to join their Clan. And they came across three cats named Ling, Sif, and Len.

"Good morning, Ling," Hollyleaf yawned, stretching so that her back was arched over. The tom looked up at her from his curled position. The river-cave's usual silence was broken by Len's loud snoring. However, Hollyleaf could still hear the gentle lapping of water across the stone banks. Ling was now standing when she looked back, his stomach releasing another growl.

"Sorry if I woke you, but I don't know how to get out of here and it's too dark~. If I was able to leave, I would've went hunting long ago~." _I'll try to teach my new three Clanmates to get use to the darkness later, maybe Fallen Leaves can help. _But Hollyleaf doubted her friend would, as it was apparent he didn't seem to want to be on good terms with Ling. But she could take Ling and Fallen Leaves would teach Sif and Len.

"Follow me, I'll take you out. After we go hunting, we'll collect moss to make our nests. If there's time, I'll start teaching you how to get around here." She stayed close to Ling so he could use her touch as a guide to get out of the tunnels. Every once in awhile, the black-furred tom would bump into a wall. It wasn't enough to hurt him since he was going slow. Soon enough, the duo were out of the tunnels and in the forest. As the walked outside, Ling commented,

"Ah, the light burns~!" Hollyleaf nodded, knowing the feeling.

"Just blink your eyes and don't look up at the sun." She had stopped, letting her new friend adjust to the light. He looked at her gratefully, gesturing for her to continue onwards.

"Thanks~. I'm surprised, I never thought light would hurt my eyes before~. But then again, I never imagined going into underground tunnels~," Ling chuckled, only a few paces behind Hollyleaf. She laughed, her mind reminding her that she didn't mean to get trapped in the tunnels and saved by a complete stranger. She had gone into the tunnels before, only to rescue WindClan kits that had strayed from their camp. They nearly drowned, but what was most important was that Hollyleaf, her brothers, Heathertail, and Breezefur had saved their clans from a pointless war. At the time, all of them were apprentices. The two cats paused in the forest, mouths open to search for scents that belonged to possible prey. Hollyleaf caught the juicy smell of a mouse, while Ling stated he smelled squirrel.

"Ling, you follow the squirrel's scent, I'm going after the mouse." She plunged into thickets, her companion scurrying off in another direction. She slowed down, not wanting to scare off her prey. She found the mouse a little ways ahead, walking lesiurly amongst the forest floor. Hollyleaf crouched into position, her paws slowly moving forward, touching the ground gently. She had to make no noise or else it will alert her prey. When she was close enough, she lunged forward, scattering leaves around the ground. The mouse had no time to flee, being flung into the air and then back on the ground, a paw on it's chest. Hollyleaf didn't hesistate to bite it's throat, killing the mouse instantly. _Thank you StarClan for the prey! _She started to dig a hole to bury her fresh-kill so she can get it later, she had to catch more prey for the others. However, she was bowled over by an animal larger than her. She shrieked, eyes wide with terror. A fox, one that looked similar to the one she had saved, looked down at her with bared teeth. She had been so busy hunting that she hadn't caught the scent of the fox. The fox was a young adult male who was searching for prey, otherwise known as Hollyleaf. She closed her eyes, waiting for the strike that will take her life. _Fallen Leaves, I'm so sorry I'm leaving you! _she thought. But claws nor teeth sunk into her skin. Instead, there was a furious yowl and the fox's weight had disappeared. Hollyleaf blinked open her eyes to see a golden tom hissing and spitting at the fox, his back arched, fur bristiling, and claws unsheathed. _Lionblaze?! _

"Back off!" the tom growled, swiping his claws over the fox's muzzle. The fox snarled, blood splattering onto the floor. The golden stranger continued to attack the fox until it fled, whimpering in defeat. He turned back to Hollyleaf, a look of pure disbelief in his eyes. "H-Hollyleaf, is that you? It has to be you, you have the same scent as her and the same appearance." _It is Lionblaze! _She was glad to see one of her littermates again, but she couldn't tell him that she was Hollyleaf. But it was apparent was was and there was no way she could make up a lie.

"Yes, it's me. Thanks for saving me, Lionblaze," she murmured. She struggled to look at him, wondering what he thought of her. _Does he hate me for never telling him and Jayfeather that I was actually alive? Does he hate me for leaving ThunderClan? _Her questions were proven wrong when her brother padded up to her and shoved his face into her pelt. Hollyleaf stumbled backwards, shocked.

"You're alive! Jayfeather and I thought you were dead! So did ThunderClan, we had told them you chased a squirrel into the tunnels and they collapsed on you, resulting in your death. We've missed you!" She shook her head, a wail rising in her throat.

"But I killed Ashfur, spilled out the truth, and didn't return to ThunderClan yet you've missed me?! You possibly can't after I did all those terrible things!"

"I do and so does Jayfeather. We understand why you have done those things, at least somewhat. Plus you're our sister, it hurts to think you've lost a littermate forever even if they did some bad things." Lionblaze held her gaze, his amber eyes flaring with happiness. "So... what have you been doing?" _Can I even tell him about HollyClan? _She shrugged, trying to look casual.

"Oh, you know, hunting and stuff like that."

"Oh. Well, why don't you come back to ThunderClan? I mean, your life sounds boring and lonely." _Nope, I have Fallen Leaves and three new friends. I'm not alone. And I can't leave them after promising them a life in HollyClan. _Also, Hollyleaf knew she couldn't return to her former Clan after what she done, even if her brothers forgave her. That didn't mean ThunderClan had. Also, Squirrelflight and Leafpool were there. She couldn't face them after what she had done at the gathering and after finding out the lies they had made.

"I can't return, Lionblaze. I'm sor-"

"-You have to, Hollyleaf! Jayfeather and I have been thinking about the prophecy lately, we were thinking Whitewing's kits were possible to be one of the three. It's either Dovekit or Ivykit. But now that I know you're alive, you might be the one in the prophecy!" Hollyleaf froze, remembering the prophecy. It was the first time she had thought about it since she had fled from ThunderClan. Was she really one of the three? It was obvious her brothers were. Anyway, did Hollyleaf even want to be part of the prophecy? But it wasn't her choice, if she was in it, then it was her destiny.

"I doubt I'm the third after what I've done. I killed a Clanmate, messed up ThunderClan, and then left my Clan. Do you honestly think StarClan would choose me to be the third? They'd choose someone who wouldn't want to hurt their Clan and a cat who'll remain loyal to their Clan." Hollyleaf thought it was a good enough of an answer.

"B-But you hunt and live on your own!" Lionblaze stammered, clearly trying to make up a reason that proved she was in the three. Hollyleaf resisted a sigh.

"Lionblaze, almost _all _normal loners and rogues do that." Her brother hung his head, muttering under his breath. Finally he looked up at her.

"Fine, you don't have to return to ThunderClan. But please meet with me and Jayfeather sometimes, we wouldn't want to lose you again." He seemed a little bit upset that she wouldn't return. Hollyleaf nodded, her eyes glittering cheerfully. Now she could meet her brothers and ask them about ThunderClan to know when they might need her help. Also, she could talk to her littermates without having to return to ThunderClan.

"I promise I'll come back again, Lionblaze. Please only tell Jayfeather I'm alive and thanks again for saving me. Good luck finding the third!"

"Alright, see you soon!" Lionblaze turned around and darted back towards ThunderClan's camp while Hollyleaf went back to hunting.

~-Time Skip-~

After hunting, Hollyleaf had caught a mouse, vole, and a blackbird. She met up with Ling whom had caught a squirrel and two mice. She didn't tell him about meeting Lionblaze, thinking it wouldn't matter. She did metion the fox scent so he would know to be alert of his surroundings. There was silence as they padded through the forest, mostly because they had their catches in their mouths. She had to once again lead Ling through the tunnels, but this time he didn't crash too much. They arrived at the river-cave to see only Sif and Len, both of them now awake and sharing tongues. They stopped at the sigh of fresh-kill.

"Hollyleaf, if you get me out I'll go hunt-"

"-No, Sif. You're expecting kits, I don't want something bad to happen to you or them. Ling and I caught enough prey for everyone," Hollyleaf meowed after dropping her catches to let everyone eat. Ling did the same, though he took the squirrel for himself. _I can't wait until it's an actual pile. _Sif opened her mouth to argue, but Len put his tail-tip in it to stop her from talking.

"Thank you," Len purred appreactvily, taking the smallest piece of fresh-kill. Sif closed her mouth and took a mouse while Hollyleaf chose the blackbird she caught. She realized they were going to need more cats to hunt because only one mouse and one vole remained. She ate her fresh-kill quickly, preparing herself to go out and collect moss. Dawn had passed yet it was still morning. Hollyleaf rose to her paws, headings towards the entrance to the moss-cave. There was where she gathered moss for her nest.

"I'm going to get moss, stay here... please!" She added the polite word at the end, knowing she hadn't earned enough of their respect to order them around. She still had to explain more about Clan life to make sure they were alright with being in HollyClan. Wanting to get moss gathering over with, she bolted into the tunnel. Moss clung around jagged rocks. Remembering what she was taught as an apprentice in ThunderClan, Hollyleaf stretched out her claws as far as they could go and arched her paws, swiping at the moss to make clean and swift pieces. Each time she used delicate precision. She got a large amount, enough to make four nests, yet she could only take a small bundle that would make one nest. She carried the moss back to the others, the moss between her chin and chest. "Here, someone can make their nest." She dropped the bundle at Sif's paws. The queen flattened it out so it made an oval shape.

"Thanks. Please, let me help you get the moss, I can't hurt my kits by doing that," the red she-cat pleaded. Hollyleaf agreed, it wouldn't hurt the kits or Sif. She simply nodded her head and took her to the cave full of supplies to make nests. Sif copied what Hollyleaf had done, picking up the moss underneath her chin. _She must've decided that was a better way to pick up moss despite how funny it must look. _Hollyleaf smirked in the dark, a little bit of newfound arrogance flaring. _I'd make a good mentor and leader if I keep this up! _She got another bundle and went back to the river-cave, Sif trailing behind at a slower pace. The she-cats put the moss down and nudged it closer to Ling and Len.

"I'll be back, there's only one bundle left. It's for me, I'm going to make a new nest." Hollyleaf went back in the moss-cave another time, grabbing her bundle and making her way back to the cave that she used as her den. She started to think about the dens for all the other cats that might become HollyClan cats. Would she have them in separate dens like the four Clans she had grown up to know or would they just share one big cave together as one den? _It doesn't matter I guess, I'll sleep with my Clanmates. _She stopped back at the river-cave and dropped the moss, forming the shape of an oval with her paws. Her nest wasn't that close to her new Clanmates since Hollyleaf felt she didn't know them enough yet. When each cat was settled down, she knew they wanted her to inform them more about Clan life. She could tell by the looks in their expecting eyes. As she got ready to speak, her ginger-and-white friend walked into the cave.

"Good morning," Fallen Leaves meowed, sitting beside her. He dipped his head towards Ling, Sif, and Len. She smiled, thinking that maybe Fallen Leaves was just in a bad mood the day before. He looked back at her, noticing the others were focused intently on her.

"Um... well, like I said yesterday, I'm going to explain further about Clan life. I think I'll first start off with StarClan, the ancestors of Clan cats unless they weren't a clan-born cat." She wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about her ancestors, though. They probably hated her for multiple reasons. Also, was she even allowed to make her own Clan? "StarClan is made up of dead cats who watch over the Clans and guide their paths."

"How can dead cats do that~?" Ling asked in disbelief. Sif and Len seemed to be thinking the same thing as their friend. Hollyleaf should've known they'd ask something like that, for it did seem strange to even regular warriors. _Or former warriors, _she added mentally.

"Well, they visit medicine cats in their dreams and they send signs, omens, and prophecies. It's been known for StarClan to even speak to cats that aren't medicine cats, though it's rare. But still, it has happened before." Ling nodded, though he still didn't seem to understand. "Anyway, StarClan also gives the Clan leader nine lives." At this, Ling became interested and Sif looked shocked.

"Nine lives~? How useful that'll be...~" he murmured.

"How can a cat gain nine lives?! And isn't that just a mother's folktale?" Sif inquired. Hollyleaf shook her head.

"No, it's true. But only if you can become a Clan's leader. I don't know how Clan leaders get nine lives... yet. When I become leader of HollyClan, I'll know. However, StarClan has forbidden leaders from speaking about the sacred ceremony, or so says the leaders and medicine cats." Len's look urged her onwards.

"Enough talk about StarClan, I want to know how a Clan functions," the elderly tom stated. She nodded as Ling and Sif's murmurings vanished.

"There are positions in a Clan. First is leader, the cat whom is in charge of the Clan. Then there is deputy, whom'll become the future leader. Normally, the deputy is chosen by the leader. Also, to become deputy, you have to have had at least one apprentice. The medicine cat I keep metioning of is the cat whom heals their Clanmates and shares information with StarClan." Ling nodded, the information clearly sinking into his head. Sif didn't seem too interested in any of the three positions, nor did Len. "Next is warriors, the cats who hunt and fight for their Clan and have completed their training. Apprentices are below that, them being the cats that train to become warriors. A warrior or the deputy or the leader teaches them about the warrior code, how to hunt, how to fight, and how to patrol the borders of their territory. A warrior that teaches an apprentice is also called a mentor. When a warrior becomes too old to serve their Clan at the best of their abilities, they become elders. Elders are highly respected among the Clans and the apprentices clean out their nests and search for ticks. They also hunt for them with warriors. This goes on until the elder joins StarClan, otherwise bluntly known as dying."

"That sounds like a good life there." A thick purr rumbled in Len's throat. _He'll be HollyClan's first elder. Sif will be the first queen, Ling the first warrior, and Fallen Leaves the first deputy. _Ling chuckled at his older friend's response but kept his eyes on Hollyleaf.

"Also, there are the queens. Queens are she-cats that are expecting kits are have kits. They don't have to do their warrior duties until after their kits reach the age of six moons. And as you can guess, kits are just kits. Like stated previously, kits become apprentices when they become six moons old. Also, one apprentice will be chosen to be the medicine cat's apprentice. The medicine cat apprentice is chosen by a kit showing keeness to learning about herbs, illnesses, injuries, and often are found with the medicine cat. Those are the positions of a Clan." Hollyleaf took the time afterwards to take in some air.

"I'm not sure if I fully agree with the whole queen thing, but I understand it's for my safety," Sif meowed, looking pleased. "I like how the Clan works so far, it's like everyone is watching out for each other. Um... it's like a second family!" Hollyleaf nodded, happy that they were getting it. So far, each one seemed to like the idea of a Clan.

"There's still a lot left to explain, such as the warrior code, battle and hunting techniques. But right now I need to find some more cats that might be interested in joining HollyClan. Ling, will you come with me since you know your way around two-leg place? And Fallen Leaves, I'm sorry but will you stay here? It's because-"

"-I'm accustomed to the darkness while they aren't? Fine, I'll stay," he interrupted with a curt nod. He padded over to Sif and Len, the air suddenly becoming quiet.

"I'll come with you~." Ling jumped over next to her, ready to go out back into the forest. They went back outside, now being the afternoon. Hollyleaf had spent her time collecting moss and explaining StarClan and Clan positions. She let the tom, whom was bursting with energy, take the lead. "Shall we run~?" She nodded, immediantly picking up speed. In no time, they reached the wall. Without hesistation, both climbed the wall quickly.

"Hey, Ling, do you know anymore cats that might want to join?"

"No~. But I wouldn't try asking King and Queen, those two are pampered kittypets that wouldn't do anything for HollyClan~. I mean, they're so lazy and selfish~!" he complained. Hollyleaf had only listened for the words yes or no, though. She leapt off the rough, brown wall and headed in a random direction. She continued onwards, stopping when she heard multiple voices. They belonged to toms.

"Give me that mouse, Scratch!" a muscular gray tom snarled, baring his teeth. Behind him was a massive dark brown tabby that reminded Hollyleaf of Brambleclaw. Scratch was a black-and-white tom that was the size of an apprentice. Scratch, however, arched his back and spat furiously at the gray tom. "You're going to get a terrible beating that'll make you wish you were never kitted if you don't give me back my prey!"

"You're all talk, Gray. Go run back to your housefolk with your friend over there, some cats actually need prey to survive. You survive off of kittypet slop!" Scratch hissed, bringing the mouse closer to him. "Anyway, I caught this so it's mine!" Hollyleaf was awed by Scratch's courage to the intimidating toms that challenged him. Awed enough to walk over to the quarrelling trio.

"Hey, back off of him. If what he says is true, then he is the one who needs the mouse and not you and your friend," Hollyleaf mewed, trying to keep calm. Gray Shadow looked over at her, his eyes narrowed with frustration.

"Keep out of this, sweetheart." Hollyleaf hissed, irritated by his reply. She wasn't going to back off because she was a warrior, even if she was no longer a member of a Clan!

"No, I won't!" Scratch looked surprised at her keeness to stick up for him. Ling crept forward, not sure if he was needed or not. "Now go away!" Gray fell silent, obviously not expecting this to happen. He turned to his friend.

"Come on, Hawk, let's go. I'm not going to waste my time with these three." Gray started to pad away but stopped when he noticied that Hawk wasn't following him. "Well, come on now!" But the dark brown tabby stayed put, his icy blue eyes cold. Wordlessly, Hawk lunged at Gray. Gray had no time to react and the shock coming off him played a part in it. Hawk swiped his claws lightly over Gray's muzzle, a little bit of blood pouring out of the new wound. Gray screeched, whipped around, and dashed into some bushes to escape. Hawk the put his claws back and turned to face Hollyleaf, Ling, and Scratch. He padded closer and Hollyleaf braced herself for battle. _Is this cat insane? _she wondered warily. But he had no intention of fighting them, he simply slid passed her and stood behind them. He didn't move but seemed to be waiting patiently.

"W-What? Er, can I do something for you, uh... Hawk?" Hollyleaf asked, trying to sound kind. But he did not reply, he just stood there. _Creepy. He looks just like Brambleclaw but with icy blue eyes and a white chest. However, he doesn't act the same. I heard Brambleclaw had a half-brother named Hawkfrost, but Hawkfrost is dead! _"O-Okay." She was nudged by a paw. She turned around to face Scratch.

"Thank you for your help, Gray bullies cats that come around these parts of the two-leg place. I knew that, but this is the only place good for hunting and I needed something to eat. My name is Scratch."

"Ah, nice to meet you Scratch. My name is Hollyleaf and this tom over here is my Clanmate, Ling." She pointed her tail-tip at the handsome black tom beside her. Ling dipped his head in greeting. "I came here in search of cats interested to join my Clan, HollyClan. But I heard you argument with Gray and I liked your bravery so I decided to help." Scratch smiled gratefully.

"Well, for helping me out, I will help you out with your quest for cats to join HollyClan. I hope it's enough to repay what you've done for me," he purred. Hollyleaf felt her spirits rise, maybe Scratch knew some cats that might like to join a Clan.

"Oh thank StarClan! Thank you so much, Scratch! I should tell you what a Clan is like so you might know what kind of cats would like the idea of being a member of a Clan." She explained everything she could possibly think of about what a Clan is and other stuff. She rushed it, though, so there would be time to look for cats willing to join.

"Really, so that's what a Clan is?! I already know a cat that _will _join!"

"Who?!" Hollyleaf felt excited pouring into her veins and spreading throughout her body. If she was the age of a kit or a young apprentice, she would be bouncing by now. But as an adult, she had learned self-control and she was using it.

"Me! I think cats should work together instead of fighting one another. And HollyClan will do that, so I will join." Hollyleaf wasn't expecting that answer, but sure was glad he wanted to join. _He'd be one of the bravest warriors in HollyClan and will lend his courage to his Clanmates when fear strikes us. _"Please, let me join!"

"Alright, Scratch. You'll be a warrior with Ling over here. It's a good thing you want to join, we need more warriors to hunt. And remember, if Clan life doesn't suit you, feel free to leave," she stated, turning back to Hawk. "Are you also joining HollyClan?" The dark brown tabby dipped his head bluntly. _What is up with him? Is he mute? _She wasn't sure if she could trust Hawk, he was suspicious. But she'd let him join as long as he doesn't bring harm to her Clan. "You'll be another warrior. Now, let's find some more cats. Scratch, please take the lead." Scratch nodded eagerly, most likely wanting to prove he could be of assistance to her and the soon-to-be Clan. They set off in another direction, walking silently in horizontal line.

"My sister, May, has two kits. She might join... for protection. But I'm sure she'll be a queen that protects kits or something because she's fond of kits. Is that alright?" Scratch asked suddenly, sounding like he'd be crushed if she said no. Hollyleaf paused to think over it for a few moments. _Does he mean a she-cat like Ferncloud and Daisy? They'd die to protect kits. If this May is like that, then she'll be fine I guess. _

"Sure. Take us to May." And so he did. May wasn't that far away. Her den was made of many things, but the most obvious was the thorny brambles. It would make a nice den for a queen whom was trying to protect her kits. "May, are you here?!" Hollyleaf called out.

"Hold on!" a she-cat's voice answered from inside the shielded den. Moments later, a head poked out. She looked at each cat warily except for Scratch. Finally, she took a few pawsteps out. May was a gorgeous Siamese with very pale blue eyes. Hollyleaf could've easily mistaken her for a kittypet. Also, May smelled of milk and had the air of gentleness around her. "Um... hello, how may I help you?"

"Good afternoon, May," Scratch meowed, padding closer. "Do not be afraid of these three cats, they don't want to hurt you or your kits." With these words, May became relaxed and her muscles were no longer tensed. "The black she-cat is Hollyleaf while the black tom is Ling. The dark brown tabby is Hawk. Hollyleaf has a question for you."

"Oh, okay. Ask away!" Hollyleaf beamed, May seemed like a friendly cat.

"I'm making a Clan named HollyClan..." And so she explained once again. She did say they could protect her and her kits, but emphasized about how important the warrior code was and that she'd need to learn some battle moves to help protect her kits, herself, and HollyClan if something terrible ever happens.

"I understand, Hollyleaf. My kits and I can be protected by HollyClan, but I also need to fight with them. Sure, I'll join as long as Chime and Bell can join as well." Chime and Bell were May's two she-kits. Chime was a tiny, fluffy, snow-white kit with sparkly light blue eyes. She had a black ribbon tied loosely around her neck from when a two-leg kit had captured her. May had recused her daughter while her brother stayed with Bell. Bell looked just like her mother, a Siamese with pale blue eyes.

"It's settled then. Our new members for today so far are Scratch, May, Chime, Bell, and Hawk," Hollyleaf purred warmly. So May did understand. Just then Chime and Bell woke. Chime looked at Hollyleaf with curiosity.

"Hi, my name is Chime! Nice to meet you! My mother is May and my sister is Bell!" Chime scrambled onto her paws, delighted to see the newcomers. Bell stood up to, facing her mother.

"Mother, is father out hunting again?" she inquired softly, not having the lively energy like her sister. May nodded her head.

"Rizu should be back-"

"-Now," a tom finished, entering the den. He looked like a badger but just smaller with multiple scars along his body. Scratch glared at his sister's mate before looking back at May. _Does he not like Rizu? _Rizu was aware that three strangers were in his den. "May, why are these cats in our den?" There was a low growl in his voice. May smiled at her mate.

"These cats offered us a place to stay in their Clan. I thought we'd join to have our kits protected and then they'll learn how to defend themselves with lots of friends." Rizu didn't look too joyful at the idea. Instead, he was angry.

"No, we're staying here! We don't need help from strangers!" Hollyleaf instantly disliked Rizu. He wasn't letting his mate decide on something nor did he seem to be planning to talk it over. Also, he was rude. HollyClan didn't need cats like Rizu running around and starting quarrels with other Clanmates! He turned to Hollyleaf and the others. "All of you get out!" But Hollyleaf, Hawk, and Scratch stayed put. Ling was about to leave but stopped when he saw the rest of them stuck their ground.

"Rizu, at least talk to May about it! She just wants to keep your kits safe!" Scratch protested. Hollyleaf nodded in consent.

"Please talk!" she insisted, not wanting to give up on losing May and her kits. They'd be valuable additions to the Clan. Another thing, May wanted to join. Rizu should let her go. Both Scratch and her had to dodge unsheathed claws.

"No! Now get out!" Rizu spat. May leapt beside her mate, eyes narrowed.

"I have our kits' interests at heart, Rizu! I just want them to be safe, don't you?" she asked, her voice strained from distress. But she was ignored. Rizu continued to aim blows at Hollyleaf and Scratch's head, getting closer to Chime and Bell without noticing. "Rizu, stop!" Finally, the fury of paws stopped coming. Hollyleaf looked back up to see Hawk standing on top of Rizu, his expression blank of emotion. He got off and went back behind Hollyleaf. When Rizu got back up, May was huddled around the kits. "Leave, Rizu. Leave and don't come back. You put our kits in danger because of your stupid rage. We're no longer mates!" Rizu huffed and shot nasty looks at all of them.

"Fine by me, May. If you want to join these strangers, then go ahead," Rizu snapped, stalking out of the den.

"Finally, he's gone." Hollyleaf heard Scratch mumble. _Precisly what I was thinking. _But at the same time, she felt guilty. May had lost her mate just because Hollyleaf agreed to ask her to join. But did May really need a mate that rude? "May, let's go. I'll carry Bell." May nodded, too shocked to speak anymore. _I don't blame her. That's probably one of the worst ways to lose your mate... and her kits even saw and heard the whole thing. _

"M-Mother, is father ever going to see us again?" Chime asked nervously, as if she was afraid she was going to get scolded. There was also a slight whimper in her voice. Bell bobbed her head up and down, getting out of her uncle's grasp and making her way beside her white-furred sister. May shook her head and looked down at her paws. "Oh, well that's good. He was scary, he kept trying to teach us battle moves." Hollyleaf's ears pricked up with interest. Who in StarClan's name teached kits how to fight?

"What?!" May shrieked, outraged. She hurried over to her kits and huddled them close, her eyes closed. "Do you know why?" Chime and Bell both replied no to this. Beside Hollyleaf, Scratch let out a quiet hiss.

"The weird thing is... father always trained us in our sleep. He took us to a place called Dark Forest and introduced us to two toms named Tigerstar and Hawkfrost. They were creepy, just like father." Hollyleaf regonized the names instantly and shuddered. _Tigerstar and Hawkfrost?! What do they want with two, non-clan kits and their father? Whatever, it's none of my business now since I'm no longer part of a Clan. I'll pass on the information to Lionblaze and Jayfeather, though. This might have something to do with the prophecy! _

"Who are Tigerstar and-"

"-Former Clan cats. They attempted to take over all of the Clans and were killed by doing so," she interrupted, not wanting anyone to be confused. It only caused more bewilderment, though. May's eyes were wide with fear.

"But if they are dead, then how can they be teaching my kits how to fight? Can they still meet them in their dreams?"

"I don't know, May. We'll just have to ask Chime and Bell if it continues. Now follow me, I need to get us back to the tunnels," Hollyleaf mewed, her fur ruffled from the very thought of Tigerstar and Hawkfrost training live cats in their sleep. May nodded and picked up Chime while Scratch got Bell.

"Here we are, the tunnels. We'll be living down here. Don't worry, I'll start teaching everyone to get use to the darkness. Stay close to me!" The group of seven were led down into the dark tunnels by Hollyleaf, whom went very slow. She had May and her kits stand right behind her, surrounded by the other cats so they won't bump into a wall. After ten minutes, they reached the river-cave, one of the few caves that had some light in it. She turned to the only kits in the future Clan. "Do not leave this cave unless either Fallen Leaves or me comes to get you, it's for your own safety." Both nodded and scampered after their mother. Len was sleeping, curled up in a tight ball. Sif was awake and sitting her nest, looking at the water. Fallen Leaves was no where to be found. Sif looked up when she realized Hollyleaf had walked in.

"Welcome back, I see you've found some more Clanmates!" Sif got onto her paws and walked over, her eyes gleaming. "I like it down here, it's peaceful and quiet. It'll be a good place to raise my kits." Hollyleaf smiled back.

"Thanks, I'm glad you like it here. I believe it's quite safe, too, once you learn to get use to the darkness. Hey, do you know where Fallen Leaves is?"

"Nope, but he stayed with us most of the time. He's really quiet. Anyway, he left sometime after I fell asleep to take a nap."

"Oh." The river-cave fell silent despite how many cats were inside. Hollyleaf cleared her throat and leapt onto the tallest boulder in the cave. The boulder was located right in the river, yet it was not big enough to block the flowing water. _This would be a good place to make annoucements. I shall call it... hm, how about the River-Boulder? Yeah, the River-Boulder. _"Everyone, I have a few annoucements. Please listen." This caught everyone's attention besides Len, who kept sleeping. Hollyleaf didn't mind, she thought that someone else could tell after he wakes up. "First off, I'll stop searching for possible Clanmates tomorrow. We need to work on multiple other things that are vital to be a successful Clan, such as hunting and marking our borders. Also, I'll start teaching everyone to be used to the darkness besides Chime and Bell. I've decided they got to wait until they become apprentices, for their safety." She could hear a quiet "aww" come from Chime. Hollyleaf had to choke down a laugh so she could keep her serious air around her. "That's all, you may continue doing whatever you were doing before the meeting!" She knew that wasn't the proper way to conduct a Clan meeting, but HollyClan wasn't official yet.

"It's almost night, we need to get more prey and gather some more moss. Ling, Scratch, and Hawk, can you be a hunting patrol just outside of the tunnels? Fallen Leaves is back so he can take you three outside. I'll get the moss," Hollyleaf meowed, spotting her ginger-and-white patched friend come in through the corner of her right eye. The three toms nodded and walked over to Fallen Leaves. "Thanks!"

"Is it alright if I am the patrol's leader, Hollyleaf?" Fallen Leaves inquired, his whiskers twitching. _Awesome, four cats hunting! _She nodded.

"Now off you go! Sif, you can come with me again if you want." Sif dipped her head and followed Hollyleaf eagerly to the moss-cave.

Hollyleaf and Sif had to make two trips to gather three bundles, a nest for Scratch, a nest for Hawk, and a nest for May to share with her kits. They returned to the river-cave faster than before, Sif starting to be able to walk in the dark without having to go too slow. They made the nests before sitting down to wait for the patrol to come back.

"If I become an apprentice when I reach six moons, then I only have to wait a few weeks because Bell and I are five moons old but we're near six moons." Chime was chattering non-stop about how she couldn't wait until her apprenticeship. It annoyed Hollyleaf a little, but she didn't say so. Another part of her was bursting with pride, happy that she was going to have her own apprentice soon. She already decided she was going to mentor Chime because of how enthusiastic she was. For Bell, she was thinking that her mentor would be Ling. Maybe he'd get her to become a little more talkative.

"The Clan may see you as apprentices then, but you two will always be my kits," May purred, licking a ruffled patch of fur on Chime's head. The she-kit giggled and scrambled back. Hollyleaf looked up and noticed Fallen Leaves leading the hunting patrol back in the cave, each cat carrying a piece of prey. Chime scurried over to them, her mother calling after her, "Chime, don't get underneath their paws!" Fallen Leaves dropped his catches on nearby dry ground and away from the river. The rest followed placing their fresh-kill so that it started to form a small pile. The ginger-and-white cat padded over to her and sat down, his whiskers twitching.

"I was wrong," he meowed, his voice becoming quiet so only she could hear. "I thought Ling wasn't going to be of any use just because I thought his personality was annoying. He caught the most prey out of all of us." _Is that why Fallen Leaves didn't want Ling to join? _She could tell it was now night since moonlight flooded into the river-cave, not daylight. Fallen Leaves turned to the rest of the unofficial Clan, raising his voice so all could hear him. "Everyone, take a piece of prey, eat, and then go to sleep." Ling had already taken a vole over to Sif and Len so they could share, each one insisting they weren't that hungry. For some reason, Hollyleaf felt the same way. Since Fallen Leaves refused to eat, she took a small blackbird to eat by herself. Hawk just sat there, staring at her as if he could see through her pelt. _Really, what's up with him? _Shuddering, she finished her blackbird with one final gulp and went over to her nest, her vision starting to blur. She hadn't realized that she was _that _tired until after eating.

"Good night, everyone," she purred drowsily, collapsing onto her nest. Her eyes shut instantly and didn't open until morning the next day.

* * *

**_~ Author's Note ~_**

_So, that's chapter 5 of Hollystar's Tale. Questions or comments? Write a review or PM me! Until the next chapter, ~ Kit_


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